IT’S 11:26 a.m. in California and Tim Ferriss, who has turned his personal tactics for streamlining life’s chores and savoring its pleasures into best-selling books like “The 4-Hour Workweek” and “The 4-Hour Chef,” is timing himself to see how fast he can get from his house to his departure gate at San Francisco International Airport.

Using Uber, a cashless car service, and Clearcard, a fast-pass for airport security, he zipped from home to gate in 20 minutes. A friend making the same flight spent 33 minutes on the security line alone.“I had lunch and polished off two conference calls before my friend even got his shoes back on,” Mr. Ferriss said.If there are upsides to obsessive-compulsive behavior, traveling efficiently is one. I consider myself a nimble traveler, able to fold a dress into the size of a croissant and get out of the airport before most passengers can even find the baggage claim. But as I grilled Mr. Ferriss and a handful of his Silicon Valley peers, who have made a sport of stripping time and pain out of routine nuisances, it was clear that even I could learn a thing or two. (Like when to pack a starter pistol, but more on that later).For a certain type of frequent-flying entrepreneur in and around Silicon Valley, travel is an art form — one that doesn’t require private jets and fat wallets. Rather, they have perfected the art of traveling comfortably, without anxiety or wasted time. I caught up with half a dozen of these travel aces from companies like Google, Klout, Yelp and LinkedIn and pumped them for pointers on how to make planning and taking vacations as effortless as shuffling an iPod.More at Designing Your Trip

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People living in and visiting Toronto will see the first of the new streetcars by the summer of 2012. At that time, a period of testing of the prototypes on the TTC’s challenging streetcar network with its tight turns and steep hills, will be underway.

The delivery of the first car is expected by the end of 2013. Afterwards the streetcars will enter service in 2014 on several of TTC's streetcar lines.

By 2018, all of the TTC’s older streetcars will be replaced by the new vehicles.

The Old Look Of Toronto Streets

Have a favorite TTC route? Share it with a comment.

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We're feeling very fortunate to have contracted for our London vacation rental to coincide with the Olympics next year. The owner seems to be a very nice old lady, but a bit pretentious with all the mention of Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) the constitutional monarch of the Commonwealth realms: (United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands,Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis), and figurehead of the 54-member Commonwealth of Nations; British monarch, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

The damn rental agreement looks like it was prepared by The House Of Lords.

The place is called Leeds Castle. The owner says it dates back to 1119 (yeah right), and comes complete with moat, 40 bedchambers, helipad, golf course, staff and custom-designed flag. It was only £1 million ($1.61 million) for the seventeen day stay!

We're thinking this is going to be a really great shag pad if you know what we mean!

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Tourism Coalition holds session in ColumbiaThe State-Oct 7, 2011The South Carolina Travel and Tourism Coalition is sponsoring the Friday session. During the meeting, educators, tourism officials, government and business ...

Chumpol: Floods not hurting tourism‎Bangkok Post - Oct 10, 2011... in many provinces is having no impact on the tourism sector for the moment, ... who said foreign tourists normally travel by plane so were not affected. ...

Apparently things have changed for London's Metropolitan Police. Crime fighting is no longer just a job for the tenacious Superintendent Harry "Snapper" Organs.

Hijabs and turbans are replacing the once distinguishing uniforms of the London police. But mind you, the police are still ever vigilant in their crusade (or mission, if you like) to stem the tide of evil.

No more vigilant are they, than when insuring the safety of public places, such as the Houses of Parliament, and other areaswhere tourists may be found.

So, dear tourists, wherever from you may hail, be warned that upon entering London's popular tourist haunts, you will be searched for, and relieved of, all items deemed malicious. Such as your harmonica!

If protecting the city is your idiom, and would engage you more than your present occupation as Graphic Designer, please consider volunteering as Special Constables. Your city needs you, more than you need it!

The Arlberg is the perfect winter escape, and a great draw for alpine skiers. However, this famous skiing region, joining Tyrol and Vorarlberg, is much more than that.

For over 100 years, the Arlberg has been a tourist destination, with stunning orchids, large herds of ibex and red deer, and an growing number of marmots.

In winter, large parts of the region are inaccessible to visitors, and in summer the trails are populated by travelers seeking to simply relax, but the area really belongs to the animals.

The highest peak is the "Valluga" at 9,222 ft (2,811 metres). The name Arlberg derives from the tradition of the "Arlenburg," who are said to have once established themselves on the Tyrolean side of the Arlberg passes.

Another story derives the name from the "Arlenbushes" that are very numerous here. There is no mountain mit the name "Arlberg" proper. Popular places and famous ski resorts at the Arlberg are Lech, Zürs, Stuben, St. Christoph and St. Anton.

Just this morning, a very nice video was uploaded by Iztg of Lech Zürs . If you're stressing today, and need to relax, the vid is sure to make your brain quiver. Our suggestion: Suck on a mint and imagine crisp Alpine air.

There are luxe spa treatments and then there are one in a lifetime experiences. In honor of the resort's 20th anniversary, Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort is offering the lavish 20 Hands Duo Massage, a two-and-a-half hour couple's experience offered in celebration of Spa Grande's 20th anniversary through September 4, 2012.

The Smithsonian Institution Archives records the development of America's greatest museum. With a staggering amount of artifacts, recordings, books, and other records, it now has a new website designed to help people explore this matchless museum from home.

The Transportation Security Administration fired 28 of its employees -- in addition to three that resigned or retired -- following a probe that revealed bags were allowed onto planes at Hawaii&apos;s Honolulu International Airport without being properly screened, the agency said Sunday.

Few sites in the world hold as much of a morbid fascination as does Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pompeii is one of the most popular places in southern Italy for tourists, who come to view the city's ruins and relics, in particular the preserved bodies of the victims whose last moments were captured in ash. This fall, visitors to Boston will get a chance to learn more about the ancient Roman town and see some of its artifacts thanks to the exhibit "A Day in Pompeii" at the Museum of Science.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Want to get outside and enjoy the first days of fall? Well, you're in luck, as the National Park Service is celebrating National Public Lands Day by waiving entry fees to all national parks this Saturday, September 24. That means you'll be able to visit more than 400 different parks across the country absolutely free.

In the midst of a morning stroll down the main street of Northern California's Point Reyes Station, a calm, yet concerned brunette woman stopped her vehicle in the center of the road and approached me with a simple question.